Refrigerating apparatus



y 1935- s. M. SCHWELLER 2,000,619

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed April 25, 1932 Patented May 7, 1935' UNITED STATES.

REFRIGERATIN G APPARATUS Sylvester M. Schweller, Dayton, Ohio, assignor,

by mesne assignments, to General Motors Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Application April 25, 1932, Serial No. 607,327

9 Claims.

This invention relates to refrigerating apparatus and more particularly to provisions for utilizing space in mechanically refrigerated cabinets for the storage of foods, which space was heretofore unavailable or unsuited for such purp It is well-known that a cooling unit, of a mechanical refrigerating apparatus located within a compartment or cabinet to be cooled, collects moisture from air circulated in the. compartm ent by the cooling effect produced by the evaporator of the apparatus. This moisture collects in the form of frost or ice upon the cooling unit and during certain cycles of operation of the refrigerating apparatus or when a large quantity of food products, to be cooled, are placed in the refrigerator cabinet a slight thawing or melting of this frost or ice occurs. Considerable or complete thawing or melting of the frost or ice accumulated on the cooling unit-also occurs when operations of the refrigerating apparatus or system are interrupted, for the purpose of defrosting the cooling unit, and causes the water, resulting from such thawing or melting, to drip or flow.

from the cooling unit. In installations of mechanically refrigerated cabinets where a drain has not been accessible it has been customary to provide a drip pan or receptacle, to be disposed below the cooling unit or evaporator, with each refrigerator cabinet. This pan or receptacle has been constructed so as to be of suincient capacity to contain or collect water dripping from the evaporator not only during the slight or temporary thawing or melting periods of the evaporator but also during complete defrosting of the evaporator. Consequently this pan or receptacle necessarily occupied valuable space or more space in the refrigerator than required during normal or uninterrupted operation of the refrigerating apparatus.

An object of my invention is to provide means for collecting the drip from a cooling unit during normal operation of the refrigerating apparatus or system which means has additional auxiliary storing capacity, for collecting drip from a cooling unit during complete defrosting thereof, and to utilize this additional storing capacity of the drip collecting means for the storage of comestibles or food products.

In carrying out the foregoing object it is a further object of my invention to permit one portion of the drip collecting means to be removed from the other portion thereof and from beneath the cooling unit in a refrigerator cabinet without removing the other or auxiliary storing capacity or portion of the means and comestibles contained therein.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention'will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawing:

Fig. l discloses a refrigerator cabinet of the household type having a drip collecting means constructed in accordance with the present invention disposed beneath the cooling unit mounted in the cabinet; I

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged view of the refrigerator cabinet disclosed in Fig. 1 showing the drip collecting means in cross-section;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the refrigerator cabinet taken. on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing a modified form of drip collecting means constructed in accordance with the present invention disposed below the evaporator; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view of the modified form of :lrip collecting means shown in Fig. 4 and taken on the line 5-5 thereof.

Referring now to the drawing for the purpose of illustrating my invention I have shown in Fig. 1 thereof a refrigerator cabinet [0 of the household type including a/food storage compartment II and a machine compartment l2. 'The food storage compartment II has a door l4 pivotally mounted to cabinet ID, shown in open position, for closing the open front of the food compartment. The machine compartment I2 is closed by a door l5. An evaporator or cooling unit I 6 of any suitable form is mounted in any desired manner in the compartment I l preferably in the upper portion thereof. The evaporator It includes the usual ice trays ll adapted to receive water to be frozen. Evaporator I6 is connected in a closed circuit with a refrigerant liquefying unit (not shown) and ordinarily disposed in the compartment l2. Shelves I 9 mounted in any suitable manner such as on pegs 2| divide the interior of the compartment I I of cabinet 1 ll into a plurality of food storage sections. t

Since the evaporator of a mechanically refrigerated cabinet collects moisture as hereinbefore pointed out, which mo sture freezes on the evaporator in the form of frost or ice and then thaws or melts, when a large supply of'foods are placed in the compartment to be cooled or, during certain periods or cycles of operation of the refrigeran. liquefying unit of the system it is necessary ervoir 26.

to provide some means for collecting the water, resulting from such thawing or melting, and preventing this water from flowing onto comestibles or food products stored in the compartment ll below the evaporator I6. Such means is also particularly essential in a refrigerator cabinet including an evaporator which receives ice trays containing water to be frozen since water is frequently splashed or spilled from the trays during insertion thereof in the cooling unit. Therefore I have provided a drip collecting means 25 for this purpose. The drip collecting means 25 includes a receptacle pan or dish 26 having a lid or cover 21 perimetrically supported thereon and removable therefrom. The lid or cover 21 has its bottom wall depressed as at 28 to form a tray or reservoir. An opening 29 is provided in the lid or cover 21 by punching or cutting a hole in the depressed portion 28 thereof. The metal adjacent the opening 29 is formed upwardly in any suitable manner so as not to destroy the reservoir provided by the depressed portion 28 of the lid or cover. Lid or cover 21 has its outer or peripheral edge flanged upwardly as at 3|. The inlet to opening or outlet 29 in lid 21 is arranged slightly below the up-turned top edge of flange 3|. Thus the reservoir portion of lid 21, formed by the depression 28, serves as a tray for receiving and collecting drip water from the cooling unit or evaporator l6 during normal operation of the refrigerating apparatus or while the apparatus is in operation to cause the evaporator to produce refrigeration as hereinbefore pointed out. The receptacle or pan 26 serves as an auxiliary reservoir or tray for receiving and collecting drip water from the evaporator or cooling unit when operations of the refrigerating apparatus are interrupted such, for example as when the refrigerating apparatus is rendered inoperative over an indefinite period of time to cause complete defrosting of the cooling unit.

The tray or reservoir formed in lid 21 being of ample capacity to store drip water from the evaporator during normal operation of the refrigerating system therefore permits utilization of the auxiliary receptacle or-dish 26 for the storage of comestibles such as meats or the like at all times except when the cooling unit I6 is to be completely defrosted. Thus storage space provided in dish 26 below the lid 21 ordinarily not used or unsuitable for use and which space is very valuable in household refrigerators, particularly refrigerator cabinets of the apartment'type is rendered available without danger of contaminating foods placed therein as long as the refrigerating apparatus is operating. Sufiicient clearance is provided between the bottom of the cooling unit l6 and the drip collecting means 25 to permit the lid or cover 21 to be removed from the cabinet ill or compartment II to empty the lid 21 of its water content. This lid 21 may be removed from compartment I I without removing the entire drip collecting means 25 and consequently without disturbing foods stored in the dish or auxiliary res- When it becomes necessary to completely thaw or defrost ice or frost accumulated on the cooling unit, foods contained in the dish 26 may be removed therefrom and temporarily placed in another portion of the compartment l 1. Water resulting from defrosting of the evaporator flows therefrom into the lid 21. This water upon rising in reservoir 21 above the inlet to outlet 29 then flows into the auxiliary reservoir or dish 26 of the drip collecting means 25 which may be of ample capacity to store water resulting from one or more defrosting operations. If desired the lid 21 may be omitted from the drip collecting means 25 during defrosting of the evaporator. Since relatively large pieces of ice frequently drop from the evaporator l6, during defrosting thereof, it is preferable to relocate the lid 21 upon the dish 26 after foods contained in the dish have been removed therefrom and the apparatus rendered inoperative to defrost the evaporator. This lid 21 being capable of containing or storing only a shallow body of water thereby reduces splashing of water, by falling pieces of ice, from the drip collecting means.

In the-modified form of my invention disclosed in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawing the drip collecting means 25 includes provisions for rendering the inlet to the outlet 29a of lid 21a adjustable. As shown in Fig. 5 of the drawing the inner wall of the up-turned metal of lid 21a forming the outlet 29a is threaded as at 32. A hollow nut 33 is threaded upon the threads 32 and the inlet to the hollow nut 33 or to the outlet 2911 may be raised or lowered relative to the top surface of lid 21a. This modified form of my invention insures that the drip water from evaporator IE will not flow into the auxiliary reservoir formed by dish 26a when foods are stored therein. For example, if foods are placed in the dish 26 or 26a which foods will be damaged or spoiled by contact thereof with water the nut 33 may be adjusted upon the threads 32 so that its inlet is on a higher plane than the top edge of flange 3 la. Should defrosting of the evaporator occur while the nut 33 is in the upper position as described the drippage from the evaporator will flow into the lid or tray 21a and will rise above the top edge 3Ia thereof and overflow therefrom and pass downwardly on the exterior walls of the dish 26 or 26a. The foods stored in dish 26 or 26a which may be of an expensive variety are thereby protected from being damaged by contact with water.

-It is to be understood that the lid 21 or 21a may be designed to fit snugly throughout its peripheral contact with dish 26 or 26a, or it may have depressions or indentations of suitable size formed therein around the portions immediately adjacent the dish 26 to provide a predetermined amount of air circulation between the interior of the dish 26 or 26a and the food storage compartment II in addition to that afforded by the opening 29 or 290. in the cover 21 or 21a. The dish 26 or 26a may also be provided with openings or holes in the walls thereof for this purpose. Thus the drip catching means 25 may be utilized as a hydrator for the storage of vegetables and the like, if desired.

From the foregoing it is apparent that I have provided an improved refrigerating apparatus or refrigerator cabinet of the household type in which space heretofore unavailable or unsuited for use is now utilized for the storage of foods. Since refrigerators of the present day vary in cost principally with respect to the amount of food storage capacity therein my invention becomes of paramount importance. My invention permits this added food storage space to be had in existing refrigerator cabinets, equipped with drip pans or dishes, as well as those to be hereafter sold.

While the forms of embodiments of the invention as herein disclosed constitute preferred forms,- it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

mounted therein, a food storage receptacle, a

tray removably supported on and forming a cover for said receptacle, said receptacle and cover being so positioned within the refrigerator compartment that the drip water from the cooling unit is received by said tray, and means for directing the drip water from said tray to said receptacle.

2. The combination with a mechanically refrigerated cabinet including a compartment having a cooling unit of a refrigerating system mounted therein, a food storage receptacle, a relatively fiat lid removably supported on said receptacle and having a depression formed therein, saidreceptacle and lid being so positioned within the refrigerator compartment that the drip water from the cooling unit is received by said depression, and means for directing the drip water from the depression in said lid to said receptacle.

3. The combination with a mechanically refrigerated cabinet including a compartment havinga cooling unit of a refrigerating system mounted therein, a food storage receptacle, a relatively fiat lid removably supported on said receptacle and having a depression formed there'- in, said receptacle and lid being so positioned within the refrigerator compartment that the drip water from the cooling unit is collected in said depression, said lid having an outlet formed therein communicating with said receptacle, and

the inlet to said outlet being disposed between the bottom and the-top of said lid.

4. The combination with a mechanically refrigerated cabinet including a compartment having a cooling unit of a refrigerating system mounted therein, a food storage receptacle, a relatively flat lid removably supported on said receptacle and having a depression formed therein, said receptacle and lid being so positioned within the refrigerator compartment that the drip water from the cooling unit is collected in said depression, said lid having an outlet formed therein communicating with said receptacle, and means for moving the inlet to said outlet above or below the top edge of said lid.

5. The combination with a mechanically refrigerated cabinet including a compartment having a cooling unit of a refrigerating system mounted therein, a food storage receptacle, a relatively flat lid removably supported on said receptacle and having a depression formed there in, said'receptacle and lid being so positioned within the refrigerator compartment that the drip water from the cooling unit is collected in said depression, said lid having an outlet formed therein communicating with said receptacle, and an adjustable hollow plug associated with said outlet for moving the inlet to said outlet above or below the top edge of said lid.

6. The combination with a mechanically re frigerated cabinet including a compartment having a cooling unit of a refrigerating system mounted therein, a food storage receptacle, a relatively flat lid removably supported on said receptacle and having a depression formed therein, said receptacle and lid being so positioned within the refrigerator compartment that the drip water from the cooling unit is collected in said depression, said lid having an outlet formed therein communicating with said receptacle, said outlet being threaded, and an adjustable hollow plug threaded upon the threaded portion of said outlet for moving the inlet to said outlet above or below the top edge of said lid.

7. The combination with a refrigerator cabinet including a compartment having a cooling unit of a refrigerating system disposed therein, a substantially closed container disposed below and in spaced relation to said cooling unit with-' in the refrigerator compartment, a flange extending upwardly from the top of said closed container providing a receptacle for receiving drip water from said cooling unit, conduit means for conducting the drip water from said receptacle to said container, and said container being removable from said refrigerator compartment while said cooling unit is positioned therein.

8. The combination with a refrigerator cabinet including a compartment having a cooling unit of a refrigerating system disposed therein, a receptacle within the refrigerator compartment, a cover for said receptacle, said cover being so positioned within the compartment relative to said cooling unit that drip water from the unit is received thereby, and conduit means for directing drip water received by the cover into said receptacle.

9. The combination with a refrigerator cabinet including a compartment having a cooling unit of a refrigerating system disposed therein, a receptacle within the refrigerator compartment, a cover for said receptacle, said cover being so positioned within the compartment relative to said cooling unit that drip water from the unit is received thereby, and conduit means for directing drip water received by the cover into said receptacle, said receptacle 'being removable from said refrigerator compartment and said SYLVESTER M. SCHWEILER. 

